I'm rebooting more than before--I think due to more kernel updates

Is it my imagination, or is Fedora Linux (and probably other distros too) releasing new Linux kernels at an increasing rate?

I have a little shell script named cron_uptime which I run with cron every morning before I get up. It checks to see if the PC was rebooted in the past day. If not, it deletes the last line from my uptime log. In either case, it then puts the date and uptime at the end of the log.

I used to boast that I only reboot my PC about every two months. But on closer examination, that's not been true the past few years. In 2010 I rebooted 19 times. In 2011 I rebooted 20 times. But this year is only 31% through, but I've already booted my PC 18 times (counting this morning, which hasn't been logged yet)! Two or three of those were due to a failed power supply, but I know I've already upgraded the kernel a number of times this year--which is the main reason I reboot.

The kernel does seem to be developing quicker than before, but I would say you could go a whole year or more without applying kernel updates - if your system is already stable, there would really need to be a good reason to apply an update, in my opinion.

I don't have any auto-update enabled. Every few days or so, when I think of it, I run the command:sudo yum update
If there's a lot of updates and it's not convenient, I wait and do it later.
If the update includes a new kernel, I reboot. Otherwise I don't.

True, I don't have to accept the updates. No one is twisting my arm. But why not keep up to date? Some of those updates are security fixes. Some of them fix bugs or give improved features. I like keeping up-to-date.

But I'm still surprised that there is enough kernel activity to release so many updates.

The reason why Kernel updates are regularly released are because certain known bugs are patched up. A A kernel update could be for plugging a security hole or fixing an obscure condition or to add a feature or two.

You don't necessarily have to update always, but it's always recommended to do so.

The reason why Kernel updates are regularly released are because certain known bugs are patched up. A kernel update could be for plugging a security hole or fixing an obscure condition or to add a feature or two.

In my honest opinion i wasn't. I gave you the reasons why Kernel updates are regularly released, due to which it is recommended to have it installed atleast after a certain period of time if not regularly, since you were not comfortable having to reboot each now and then because of the regular updates.

It's recommeded to update regularly, but since you're not comfortable with that, you don't have to update always- as in short intervals.